The Law Society of Singapore has named Allen & Gledhill partner Dinesh Dhillon as its next president.
Dhillon will replace incumbent Lisa Sam next year, when her two-year term comes to an end. Sam replaced Jason Chan SC in 2024, who stood for the balance of the late president Adrian Tan’s term in 2023, following Tan’s untimely passing from cancer.
Dhillon is an international arbitration specialist, currently serving as co-head of Allen & Gledhill’s arbitration practice. He has been a partner at the firm since 2006, having previously worked at Baker McKenzie’s Singapore office for five years and trained and qualified at Khattar Wong from 1995 to 2000. He is also a practising barrister, called to the Middle Temple in 2022.
Among his external appointments, he is co-chair of the International Bar Association’s Asia-Pacific Regional Forum, having served as an officer since 2017. He is also the immediate past-president of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators.
In his role as president of Singapore’s law society, Dhillon said he would aim to serve both lawyers and the public alike in “ensuring that the highest standards of the profession are adhered to”.
He said: “It is an honour and privilege to be elected president of the Law Society of Singapore for 2026. I will do my best to serve the interests of our profession and community. I am committed to advancing the legal profession both locally and internationally, and welcome opportunities to collaborate with colleagues and friends from the International Bar Association. I very much look forward to strengthening the bond between the IBA and the Singapore legal community.”
The society’s vice-president positions will be held by Professor Tan Cheng Han SC and Daniel Koh, both appointed to the council in October, Koh by way of re-election, while Peggy Yee will have the treasurer position, replacing Michael Chia.
Tan and Koh replace Enghelin Teh SC and Samuel Chacko, who was appointed as vice president in April following the resignation of former vice president Chia Boon Teck. He stepped down following heavily-reported comments about a rape survivor condemned by Sam and Singaporean ministers.
Dhillon’s appointment means he will hold office as the IBA annual conference prepares to return to Singapore in 2027 for the first time since 2006, when Philip Jetnaryam SC – who now leads Singapore’s highly regarded International Commercial Court – was president.
Dhillon is also the current chair of Pro Bono SG, which was founded by former law society president Arfat Selvam, who was honoured by the IBA for her work at the annual conference in Toronto.
The organisation advises those unable to afford a lawyer, offers legal and social support to vulnerable families, and establishes community law centres to make justice more accessible. It also supports migrant workers through the Migrant Workers’ Law Centre (MWLC). Speaking to the Straits Times in September, Dhillon urged local law firms to support pro bono, saying: “The heart of pro bono is being the human face of justice to the people who need it.”
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